Fleet 50

__NOTOC__ Infobox Aircraft
name=50 Freighter


caption=
type=General utility aircraft
manufacturer=Fleet Aircraft
designer=
first flight=1938
introduced=
retired=
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produced=
number built=5
variants with their own articles=The Fleet 50 Freighter was a twin-engine biplane Canadian general utility aircraft designed and built by Fleet Aircraft. A peculiar looking aircraft it had a promise as a freighter and general use aircraft but it was seriously underpowered and only five were built.

Development

Design was started in 1936 to create a general purpose twin-engined utility aircraft for the Canadian market. It was designed as a short take-off freighter with features added to ease cargo handling. The Freighter was a biplane with the lower wing an inverted gull-wing with either a float or wheel landing gear. Two radial piston engines were mounted in nacelles on the upper wing panels.

The fuselage structure was welded steel tubing with duralumin formers, and a semi-monocoque duralumin nose section. The wings were stressed-skin metal structure on the inboard panels and fabric-covered wood beams and duralumin ribs on the outboard panels. The fuselage had room for two crew and up to ten passengers. Large doors and a roof-mounted chain hoist were fitted for use in the cargo role.

The prototype designated the 50J first flew on 22 February 1938 powered by two 285 hp (213 kW) Jacobs L-5MB 7-cylinder radial engines. It was later re-engined with 330 hp Jacob L-6MB engines and re-designated the 50K. A further four aircraft were built all with L-6MB engines.

None of the aircraft was operated for long as the design was underpowered and could not maintain height on only one engine.

pecifications (50K landplane)

aerospecs
ref=The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985), 1985, Orbis Publishing, Page 1817
met or eng?= eng

crew=2
capacity=10 passengers or freight
length m=10.97
length ft=36
length in=0
span m=13.72
span ft=45
span in=0
swept m=
swept ft=
swept in=
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rot dia m=
rot dia ft=
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dia m=
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width m=
width ft=
width in=
height m=3.99
height ft=13
height in=1
wing area sqm=49.05
wing area sqft=528
swept area sqm=
swept area sqft=
rot area sqm=
rot area sqft=
volume m3=
volume ft3=
aspect ratio=
empty weight kg=2087
empty weight lb=4600
gross weight kg=3777
gross weight lb=8326
lift kg=
lift lb=

eng1 number=2
eng1 type=Jacobs L-6MB 7-cylinder radial engine
eng1 kw= 246
eng1 hp= 330
eng1 kn=
eng1 lbf=
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eng2 kw=
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max speed kmh=241
max speed mph=150
max speed mach=
cruise speed kmh=
cruise speed mph=
range km=1046
range miles=650
endurance h=
endurance min=
ceiling m=4570
ceiling ft=15,000
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climb rate ftmin=
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References

* The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985), 1985, Orbis Publishing, Page 1817